The Duelist And The Cardcaptor
by Ryo Nightray
Summary: AU. Yugi accidently unleashes the Shadow power of the Duel Monsters cards, and with the Pharaoh's help must retrieve the cards before they fall into the wrong hands. What's more, there's something strange about new exchange student, Sakura Kinomoto...
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: **__Hello to the person that has just clicked on this story! If the summary didn't make much sense, I'll reveal the plot as the story progresses._

_This is my first attempt at writing a Yugioh fic, so sorry if some of the details are wrong. Clearly, it's an alternate storyline and some of the things have been altered but it will follow the basic Yugioh storyline, and the same goes for the Cardcaptor Sakura details. _

_Please send me any feedback on how to improve, and I hope you enjoy this! :) _

**_CHAPTER I_**

It was evening, and the sun burned low on the horizon, the sky already beginning to turn black. The glass in the windows of the houses shone like silver and a refreshing breeze swept down the quiet road. A group of four Domino high students rounded the corner of the street, three boys and a girl, chatting and laughing with each other. They came to a stop just outside the game shop.

"Bye, guys!" said the shortest member of the group. "See you tomorrow."

"See ya, Yugi-kun" replied Jounouchi with a grin. "Maybe tomorrow you can teach me some new duelling techniques."

"Sure thing, Jounouchi-kun" Yugi replied with a smile.

"Yeah, you're going to need it," Honda said, playfully grabbing Jounouchi around the neck. "I mean, even Anzu can beat you."

"_Even_ Anzu?" the teenage girl protested.

"Joking, joking!" Honda quickly answered with a sheepish smile, letting go off Jounouchi.

The group of friends said their goodbyes again and waved before walking back down the road, disappearing around the next corner. Yugi watched them go for a long time before he pushed the door open to the game shop, a welcoming bell jingling at his arrival.

"Jii-chan, I'm home!" he called out. When there was no reply, a frown of confusion flickered across the teenager's face. He looked behind the counter where his grandpa was often sat behind, but the seat was empty.

"Maybe he's upstairs" he decided, going through the back door and up the flight of stairs.

"Jii-chan!" he shouted again, but again no one answered his call, his voice filling up empty air.

"Huh," Yugi said to himself, running a hand through his elaborate hair and sitting down on the top step. "I wonder where he is. He wouldn't leave the shop unattended without telling me, and the front door was unlocked; that was kinda careless." A twinge of worry settled upon him.

He sat on the stairs for a moment longer, before he kicked off his shoes and returned back into the shop. He glanced around at the various posters lining the walls and the shelves aligned with a variety of different games. His eyes drifted to the counter and widened when he saw a piece of paper on top with his name on it written in familiar handwriting. He walked over and unfolded the paper, reading the message inscribed on it.

_Yugi, I had to leave the shop for a couple of minutes, so if you're wondering where I am, don't worry. I'll be back soon, Grandpa. _

_That explains it,_ Yugi thought with a small sense of relief, scrunching up the letter and tossing it into the bin. _Though it must be something big if he couldn't wait for me to get back before leaving._

He shrugged his shoulders and turned to go back into the house.

A low murmur shattered the silence.

Yugi froze. What was that noise?

He looked around the shop, but all was calm. He glanced down at his abdomen – no, it wasn't his stomach grumbling. But what was it?

The noise intensified and grew louder. A ripple of fear flashed through him. _It's coming from the basement,_ Yugi realised. _Where Jii-chan keeps all his really old stuff. _

Hesitantly, he walked through the back door and crept down the corridor, pausing at the entrance to the basement. He closed his eyes and listened harder. It sounded like whispering and moaning, but the words were indistinct. He felt a shudder of anxiety pass over him; it certainly was a creepy noise, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck rigid.

He edged forward and gently pushed the basement door open, the hinges squealing ominously. Yugi looked down the stairs which led into darkness and gulped. _I hope there isn't someone down there, like a robber or something. Where's a baseball bat when you need one?_

He reached for the light switch and flicked it up. No lights turned on. He tried again but the darkness remained. "Great" he groaned quietly.

He dashed back down the corridor and rummaged in a kitchen cupboard, withdrawing a torch and turning it on. He returned to the basement and shone the torch about, a beam of yellow light carving through the thick gloom. As far as he could see after a few moments' inspection, there was no one there, but he thought he'd better double-check it.

He slowly padded down the stairs, his socks muffling his footsteps. He looked around at all the shelves of faded boxes and yellowing paper; the whispering noise persisted and now it seemed so loud it was as if it was coming from inside his skull.

Yugi rounded a corner of a bookcase and saw one final shelf ahead. It was mainly devoid of objects, except for a big golden box within a puddle of darkness.

_There_ Yugi thought, eyes growing wide with anticipation. He walked towards it and gingerly lifted the box out. As he did so, the murmuring sound ceased abruptly, but Yugi was too entranced by the box that he didn't realise it.

It was quite heavy in his arms and he staggered a little under its weight, so he set it down on the floor. He knelt down and cautiously lifted the lid. He blinked in surprise at the contents.

The box was divided into two separate compartments. One side contained a large, gold pyramid-shaped necklace on a thick rope. The other had a deck of cards that looked rather familiar.

"A Duel Monsters deck?" Yugi wondered out loud, reaching in to pick them up.

He riffled through the deck, amazement and excitement rushing fiercely through him. They were all cards he recognised: Dark Magician, Kuriboh, and whoa, a Blue-Eyes White Dragon! But they weren't like the modern cards he duelled with. No, these cards were old, smelling musty and neglected, their edges a little frayed. And none of the pictures of the monsters were in colour, instead being depicted in varying shades of brown. As Yugi looked through the deck, he realised that it only consisted of Monster cards, with no Trap or Spell cards. It was also a surprisingly small deck: perhaps only between 20 and 30 cards.

Yugi frowned with puzzlement. What a weird deck. It would be completely pointless in a duel. He smiled faintly as he remembered earlier that day he had told Jounouchi the very same thing when examining his deck. Yugi made a mental note to himself to help Jounouchi pick out some Spell and Trap cards tomorrow.

Yugi turned his attention to the strange pyramid pendant. He picked it up and turned it over in his small hands, examining it from each angle.

_Is this real gold? _he wondered with amazement. _This thing must be worth millions! _And judging from its design, Yugi guessed it was of Egyptian origin. This sort of thing belonged in a museum, not the basement of his Grandpa's game shop.

He stared at the strange eye symbol on the smooth face of the pyramid and felt a mysterious shudder creep through his bones. Whatever this was, this was no ordinary item. It appeared to shine with a majestic inner light, and yet Yugi felt as though his soul was being drawn into its depths like a ship dragged into a maelstrom's embrace.

_I want to try this on. _

Yugi blinked in surprise. That though came unbidden into his mind. Though as he glanced back at the pyramid, he realised that he did want to wear it, compelled to even, although he wasn't sure why.

Yugi stood up and shifted the deck of old cards into his left hand. With a heartbeat of hesitation, Yugi lifted the heavy pendant by the rope and slipped it over his head, the weight of it tugging at his neck. Although it weighed quite a lot, it felt quite comfortable there; a welcome presence.

Yugi looked at the deck in his left hand then blinked with alarm when he felt a tingling vibration beneath his finger tips, as if they were stirring into life like living creatures.

"What the…?" he wondered out loud, eyes widening with shock.

A few moments of calm…

Then suddenly Yugi felt a flash of fire course through his veins, and he cried out in pain. The pyramid around his neck began to shudder and emit a high whistling sound before it began to float before him on the rope, held in the air by some mystic force. Out of nowhere a fierce wind stirred and whipped at his hair and tugged at his clothes, sending items tumbling from the shelves and papers soaring high into the air.

The pyramid shivered once again and then exploded with a brilliant golden light that left black spot's dancing before Yugi's eyes. Yugi shielded his face with his arm and grit his teeth as the light intensified and the wind grew stronger and swirled about in a frenzied circle around him. With his eyes closed, Yugi didn't notice the golden symbol that suddenly shone beneath his feet: the Eye of Anubis.

Through the turmoil of noise and light, Yugi clung to the cards in his hands, clutching them to his chest so that the tempest couldn't snatch them away. The fiery pain within him began a sharp jolt, as if something was locking into place within his heart, before it became a distant throbbing ache.

Slowly, the blinding light faded back into the shadows, and the wind stopped screaming and became a still atmosphere, and everything returned to normal. It was as if nothing had happened.

Yugi collapsed to his knees and slumped over, exhaling weakly. His panting was loud in the sudden silence.

"What on earth was that?" Yugi thought, trembling a little with exertion and shock. He looked at the deck grasped tightly in his hands and gasped. There were only 5 cards left!

He glanced about him, searching frantically, but through the clutter of fallen objects and scattered papers around him, there was no sign of any them. Despite his best efforts to hold onto them, the majority of the cards had disappeared.

Yugi sighed and picked up the pyramid in his hand. He could see his pale reflection distorted in its gold surface. "What is this thing? What just happened?" he said to it, almost demanding the object to give him an answer.

He did not expect a reply.

The pendant began to shine once more, and Yugi froze, steeling himself in case light suddenly burst out of it. However, the glow was softer this time, and the yellow illumination swirled out and collected into a pillar a few feet before Yugi. The teenager watched in amazement and curiosity as the pillar of light paled and transformed into a humanoid shape and the room was thrown into semi-darkness again.

Yugi examined the person standing before him with awe. He wasn't that tall, but he had such an air of authority and confidence in the way that he stood with his arms folded over his chest that he didn't need the extra height. He was clad in, surprisingly, a Domino High uniform, but the jacket was a shade darker than the norm. He wore a replica of the golden pyramid around his neck too.

Yugi's gaze travelled up to the man's face, and he choked back a startled yelp.

The man before him opened his eyes – amethyst eyes that were extremely familiar – and smiled softly.

"Hello" the man greeted.

Yugi screamed in fright and shrunk back. He staggered to his feet and took a few steps back, creating a bigger distance between him and, and … his twin.

_I know not a lot has happened now and it seems a bit weird, but a lot more is going to happen in the next chapter. Also, I'm going to introduce some Cardcaptor Sakura characters! Reviews would be extremely appreciated :) _


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: **Wow, it's been forever, and I mean forever, since I last updated! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, especially since some Cardcaptor Sakura characters will show up!_

_**CHAPTER II**_

"Who are you?" Yugi insisted. "And why do you look like me?" he added, jabbing a finger at the young man.

The stranger frowned in confusion and tilted his head to one side. "You don't know?" he replied. "But you opened the box…" Even his voice sounded a bit like Yugi's, but it was lower and bolder with a commanding undertone. Geez, he even had the same hair as him! But this guy wasn't an identical copy of him. His expression was serious, his eyes narrowed, his eyes resolute with a touch of darkness.

But despite this fierce and proud appearance, Yugi did not feel intimidated in his presence. Instead, he felt quite calm, as well as overwhelmed with a mix of curiosity and amazement.

Yugi cautiously took a few steps closer to the stranger, as he didn't seem to mean him any harm. As he did so, he realised that the stranger didn't look completely solid, and a quick examination revealed that he was partially transparent like a reflection in a glass window.

"Are you a ghost?" Yugi asked softly.

The stranger shook his head. "Not quite" he answered ambiguously, closing his eyes briefly. Then his eyes flicked open again and locked onto Yugi's.

"Your name is Mutou Yugi?" he said.

"Yes" the teenager replied with a nod, quickly giving the stranger a sketchy bow. "Nice to meet you, Other Me" he added with a smile.

The stranger blinked in alarm. "Other Me?" he repeated incredulously.

"Yep," Yugi said, his smile broadening. "That's right."

The young man paused, before giving a little smirk. "Hn."

"U-unless, you already have a name?" Yugi added.

"My name is Atem," the Other Yugi replied. "But you may call me what you like."

Then the grin fell from Yugi's face a little. "Other Me, how do you know who I am?"

The stranger said nothing for a long time, before looking down at the golden box at his feet, then glancing at the remaining cards still in Yugi's hands.

"Mutou Yugi, did you know what was in this box before you opened it?"

"No," Yugi answered. He paused, then held out the cards in his hand before the ghostly stranger. "Can you tell me what these are, please? They look like Duel Monsters cards, but they're different. And this" - he pointed to the pyramid around his neck – "You … came out of it. What is it?"

The Other Yugi opened his mouth to speak but was suddenly silenced by a distant thud from above their heads.

Yugi glanced up with a glance, then his heartbeat slowed down when he realised it was just the front door closing. That meant his grandpa was back.

"Yugi!" his grandpa called out, his voice muffled by the storey separating them. "I'm back."

Yugi felt a jolt of alarm and panic as he realised the chaos the basement was in, and a flash of guilt and dread passed through him. But what was that compared with the ghostly clone of Yugi standing right next to him – how would be able to explain that?

He heard his grandpa's step draw closer and his heart rate sped up. He spun round to face Atem. "You have to hide, quick!" Yugi demanded in a whisper. Atem said nothing but nodded firmly in understanding, and in a brief flash of light he disappeared and shot back into the pyramid necklace, Yugi feeling the object hum for a moment as he did so.

But even with Atem safely hidden, how was Yugi going to explain the clutter around him? Especially the pyramid and the old deck – it was as if they were a secret that wasn't meant to be uncovered, like a pharaoh's tomb being rudely disturbed and scavenged through by archaeologists. He scooped up the remaining cards as fast as he could without damaging them, ripping the pyramid necklace from his neck and cramming into the inside of his jacket. The sharp angles stood out awkwardly but it was the best he could do at the moment. Yugi shoved the box where he'd found the items back onto the shelf the moment the basement door opened.

"Yugi, what are you doing down here?" his grandpa said with confusion, then his eyes bulged in their sockets when they alighted upon the mess scattered across the room. "What happened down here?"

A fleeting sensation of panic swept through Yugi, a bead of sweat dripping down the nape of his neck. "Erm, it was like that when I got here" he blurted out. _Wow, what a lame excuse_ he thought, mentally slapping a palm to his face. However, his feigned bewilderment seemed to work, and he got down to assisting his grandpa with sorting out the mess he'd created.

Later that night, Yugi lay in bed with the deck spread out between his hands, the pictures on the five fraying cards barely visible in the muted light that infiltrated the gloom of his bedroom from the window. The pyramid was around his neck again, the gold face cool and reassuring against his warm skin, and he could feel his heartbeat thrum through the metal. But no matter how many times he'd whispered out to the spirit housed within it, Atem did not answer. Part of him thought that perhaps he'd imagined the Other Yugi, the ghost being a figment of his imagination after banging his head or something, but in his heart he couldn't deny the truth. Maybe Atem was asleep right now, or maybe he couldn't hear him. Whatever the reason, he decided that he'd try to contact Atem again tomorrow, but even with his mind made up this didn't stop him from sleeping fitfully.

The next morning, Yugi walked into class with dark bags under his eyes and his hair more tussled than usual, slumping into his seat and laying his head on the desk with a sigh. The pyramid and the cards were safely tucked into his school bag, and even now Yugi was aware of a deep, low vibration in the air, assuring him that he could still feel Atem's presence from the Egyptian artefact. Yugi was brimming with questions to ask the spirit, but alas, again the Other Yugi wasn't responding. Yugi felt a flicker of worry: had something awful happened to him?

His thoughts were interrupted when Jounouchi slapped him in a friendly fashion on the back, Yugi sitting bolt upright with a yell of fright.

"Hey, Yugi!" Jounouchi said with a wide grin. "What's up?"

"Not much, really" Yugi answered with a tired smile, yawning afterwards.

"Hm, you don't look so good" Honda said, inspecting Yugi's pallid face.

"Do you want to go to the nurse's office?" Anzu questioned, her wide blue eyes filling with concern.

"I'm fine" Yugi reassured them with a quick nod and a smile, even though he did feel unusually weary.

At that moment the teacher walked into the class and the students scrambled to their desks, chatting for a while amongst themselves for a bit longer until the teacher finally got them to settle down.

"We have a new student transferring here today!" the teacher explained, and instantly the class burst into excited conversation. Was it a boy or a girl? Where were they from? What kind of person were they?

"Please be sure to make her welcome," the teacher said, motioning to the door. "Come in, Kinomoto-chan."

The door slid open and a girl stepped in. Yugi's blood suddenly froze, the world slowing down so that every motion became sharper and clearer than reality, his heart halting mid-beat. This sensation only lasted an instant before abruptly everything sped up again and an onrush of sound snapped Yugi out of his daze. He shook his head to clear the nausea and focused on the newcomer.

The girl was of average height and build, with a pretty, childish face framed by short, light brown hair. She had vivid, sparking green eyes almost as big as Yugi's, a broad smile on her face as she bowed towards the class. "Hiya, I'm Kinomoto Sakura! Pleased to meet you all!"

Again, the class began chattering and whispering, the air buzzing with voices. Jounouchi leaned over towards Yugi's desk with a mischievous gleam in his eye and a wide grin. "Lucky! This new girl is a cutie!"

Yugi nodded absent-mindedly, his mind still reeling after the strange sensation that had taken hold of him. The presence of the spirit in the pyramid had seemed to magnify as the girl had walked in, but now it had returned to normal. What had had that been all about? Had he imagined it? Maybe he was just feeling sick, or maybe a lack of sleep was affecting his brain.

"Take your seat on the other side of Yugi-kun" the teacher instructed, and Yugi felt a little flash of surprise and anticipation. The girl cheerfully strode down the aisle, getting a few gawks from the male students as she passed them but either ignoring them or being unaware of their stares. She sat down in her seat with a soft sigh and turned to face Yugi.

"Hi," she said, her green eyes closing as she beamed. "You must be Yugi-kun."

"Y-yeah," Yugi stammered, but felt a smile creep up his face. Jounouchi was right about her being a cutie, but that wasn't why he felt a warm glow spread through his body. He felt comfortable and relaxed in this girl's presence, and her sweet smile was genuine and infectious. He wondered dimly in the back of his head if Anzu was feeling jealous of Yugi sitting next to this pretty newcomer when she was stuck two seats away from him.

"Where are you from?" he asked her.

"Tomoeda" she replied.

"I've never heard of that town before. Is it far from here?"

"Yes, it is quite far" she nodded.

"I hope you don't mind me asking," Yugi said. "But why did you come to Domino City?"

The smile on her face wavered a little, her eyes losing their shine for a moment before she pulled herself together. "I just needed a change. Besides, there's something I need to do here." Her eyes became distant, focusing on something far beyond the classroom, her heart still anchored in her hometown. She snapped out of her gaze and smiled softly. "But I don't think I'll be here long. It depends how things go."

Yugi nodded, but he didn't quite understand what she was saying. Part of her seemed excited to be here, but much more of her looked like she regretted being here, as there was something – or someone – that she was missing.

The rest of the day passed as normal, with Sakura being the centre of attention. She didn't seem to mind, but did seem a little miffed when some of the boys starting getting a bit too friendly. Surprisingly, once Anzu had gotten over initial annoyance of being unable to sit so close to Yugi, her and Sakura managed to strike up a pleasant conversation and found that they had more in common than they previously thought.

It wasn't until afternoon break that Yugi finally sensed it. His eyes widened when he suddenly felt the pyramid in his backpack hum with energy and knew that Atem was waking up. He grabbed his bag and excused himself, laughing sheepishly as he dashed away from the group and their confused expressions.

Once he felt he was alone, Yugi rummaged inside his bag and pulled out the pyramid. It glowed softly in his hands and emitted a faint warmth. Yugi's heart pounded with anticipation – perhaps now his questions could be answered.

"I thought so" said a voice from behind him.

Yugi wheeled round with surprise, the light of the pyramid instantly dying as he did so. His eyes widened even more when he realised who was standing there.

"K-Kinomoto-chan!" he gasped, quickly hiding the Egyptian artefact behind his back. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura took a step forward, her eyes bright with a strange, excited gleam. "I knew it was you."

_Oh noes, a cliff hanger. I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit crap, but I did rush it. Review would be appreciated very much! XD _


End file.
